?I need to lose weight. I need to do more cardio.? As a fitness professional I hear this everyday, and it hurts. Do people not realize that aerobics for fat loss are mostly a waste of time? Do people not realize that they could get much better results with interval training and still have a lot more time to do some resistance training as well?
You?re probably thinking, ?No they don?t. Well, at least, I don?t.?
This is because it has been long accepted that cardio is best for weight loss and weight training is best for muscle gain. Unfortunately, it?s not quite that simple. The real reasons are beyond the scope of this article. This article will serve as an introduction to interval training. In future articles, I will add some science and let you know just why long duration, low intensity cardio is mainly a waste of time when it comes to fat loss.
There are many myths out there concerning weight loss and fat loss, and I am on a mission to debunk them one by one.
But first, here is something you can do that is very effective for fat loss. It is called interval training.
What is Interval Training?
You may have heard the term interval training before. You may have seen that interval button on the cardio machine at the gym. Perhaps you even tried using the interval program on that cardio machine but really weren?t sure exactly what you were doing or why you were doing it.
Well, to tell you the truth, you never have to use that interval button on your cardio machine because it most likely is not an accurate representation of the type of interval training that you want to be doing for weight loss. Most interval programs on cardio machines that I?ve seen just make things a little harder or easier every now and then. While this is the basic idea of interval training, it is certainly not the perfect design.
So what the heck is interval training? Good question.
Basically, interval training is a form of cardiovascular exercise that involves alternating periods of high intensity movements with periods of low to moderate intensity movements. In laymen?s terms, the work you are performing gets harder and easier in stages.
A Quick Example of Interval Training
Johnny decided to use the stationary bike for your cardio today. Performing intervals with the stationary bike is extremely easy. After Johnny warmed up for five minutes at level 4, he increased the level on the bike to 13. Johnny spent one minute going as hard as he could at level 13 before bringing the level down to 5 where he spent two minutes recovering.
This recovery period is very important as it would be nearly impossible for Johnny to continue pedaling at level 13 for much longer than a minute. The two minute recovery period allows Johnny?s body to recover so that he can go back to level 13 afterward.
This recovery period is known as ?active rest.? You do not stop exercising during active rest, but your heart rate gradually lowers. Also, your muscles are able to recover so that they can perform just as they did in the previous high intensity interval. Yet, the blood keeps pumping to the muscles as you continue to work.
Now that Johnny has completed his two minutes of active rest, he is ready to move on to his next interval at level 13. Once again he works as hard as he can at level 13 for one minute before returning to level 5 for another recovery interval.
Johnny does one more interval at level 13 following his two minutes of active rest. He finishes strong and begins doing a cool down. This cool down is very important for a number of reasons, including avoiding dizziness and nausea by allowing your heart rate to drop gradually.
Johnny spends five minutes cooling down by going from level 5 down to level one, spending a minute at each level. And then he is done. He spends a few minutes stretching before hitting the showers and going back to work.
Let?s recap:
Johnny?s Interval Training Workout ? Stationary Bike
Warm-up: 5 minutes on Level 4
1st Working Interval: 1 minute on Level 13
Active Rest: 2 minutes on Level 5
2nd Working Interval: 1 minute on Level 13
Active Rest: 2 minutes on Level 5
3rd Working Interval: 1 minute on Level 13
Cool Down: 5 minutes on Levels 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1
Total Time: 17 minutes
17 minutes, not bad. And let me assure you, if you have never tried something like this before, that is one heck of a 17 minute workout.
Go ahead and give interval training a try the next time you work out. It doesn?t take much time and it is very effective for fat loss. Keep an eye out for my next article which will tell you why interval training is far superior to traditional cardio.
Matt Maresca is a Certified Personal Trainer by the National Academy of Sports Medicine. His passion is to help rid the world of fads, gimmicks, and misinformation concerning weight loss. His website HealthyBodyRevolution.com is geared toward showing you the most effective and simplest ways to shed bodyfat.
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